On St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and the official seat of its bishop. Founded in 1805, it was the first non-Roman Catholic church in the Louisiana Purchase territory and is known for two Sunday Eucharists, an English choral tradition, and ministries that reach from the altar into housing, education, pastoral care, and service to neighbors. The Cathedral stands at 2919 St. Charles Avenue, where the St. Charles Avenue streetcar stops at Sixth Street.
Two Centuries on St. Charles Avenue
Christ Church Cathedral's history reaches back to 1805, and music has been integral to its worship from the beginning. From its earliest years, substantial time, energy, and resources went into purchasing and importing organs, hiring musicians, and training choirs. That continuity remains visible in the Cathedral's musical life. The present building is the fourth Christ Church, and its identity is inseparable from the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, for which it serves as the bishop's official seat.
A 15-stop virtual tour traces the building's history, Gothic architecture, art, and worship spaces. Stops include the crossing and its windows, the south and north transepts, the apse, kneelers, stained glass, the tower and the chair, two parts of the Chapel, and the cloister garden. Bishop Polk, the large organ, and changing uses of the building also receive attention. The half-hour tour covers the Cathedral's history, architecture, art, and worship spaces in detail.
Sunday at Ten, Sunday at Six, and the Midweek Chapel
Sunday worship has two distinct forms at Christ Church Cathedral.
- Sunday, 10:00 AM: Eucharist, Rite II with hymns and anthems in the Cathedral, carried live on YouTube.
- Sunday, 6:00 PM: Eucharist, Real Presence, a contemplative service in the Cathedral developed and led by Canon Steven Roberts.
- Monday through Friday, 12:15 PM: Eucharist, Rite II in the Chapel.
- Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM: Morning Prayer, broadcast online.
During Lent, the 10:00 AM Eucharist uses Rite I and is also available on Facebook. Children are expressly included in the Sunday morning welcome: “Yes, bring the children!” Families of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and backgrounds are supported here.
There are no expectations for attire. Some people come dressed up, while others are dressed more casually, and the Cathedral says that people are welcome however they feel comfortable. That welcome is rooted in the conviction that people need to know not only who they are, but whose they are. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar's Sixth Street stop provides a direct way to arrive at the Cathedral's 2919 St. Charles Avenue address in New Orleans.
A Choir of Twenty and Two Pipe Organs
Music is central to Anglican worship at Christ Church Cathedral, with the organ and choir playing key roles. The choir of approximately 20 adults includes both professionals and volunteers with choral singing experience. It sings mostly in a traditional English style at Sunday services, periodically offers Choral Evensong, and participates in weddings and funerals. Each Advent, the choir presents the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in anticipation of Christmas. Canon Precentor Jarrett R. Follette directs the choir and oversees the concert series, while Assistant Organist G. Marc Loudon also serves the music ministry.
The Cathedral is blessed with many instruments, including two Steinway pianos, a harpsichord, handbells, and two pipe organs. Its large instrument was built by the Goulding and Wood company of Indianapolis in 1994. The project retained pipes from earlier organs but completely reworked them and added many new ranks, producing a 94-rank instrument. Cathedral Concerts also presents organ recitals, small-group performances, and choir events from time to time throughout the year. Together, the Sunday repertoire, the Evensong tradition, the Advent program, and the concert series give music a year-round place in the life of the Cathedral.
Clergy, Formation, and the 6 PM Contemplative Eucharist
Dean and Rector The Very Reverend David A. duPlantier has led Christ Church Cathedral since 2002. He earned his Master of Divinity from General Theological Seminary in 1993 and leads the Boards of the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, Project Homecoming Homebuilders, and the American Friends of the Spafford Children's Center in Jerusalem. He is also Dean of the Uptown New Orleans Deanery of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
The Reverend Canon Steven M. Roberts has served at the Cathedral since 2002. His work includes blessing pets and bicycles, offering Ashes-To-Go in front of the Cathedral, working with young people, developing and leading the 6:00 PM contemplative Eucharist, serving as chaplain to the Cathedral's chapter of Daughters of the King, and coordinating digital media and information technology. The Reverend Travers C. Koerner, Priest Associate, is a Tulane and General Theological Seminary graduate. Before returning to New Orleans, he served churches in New York City, including the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and was Rector of St. Bartholomew's Church in the Diocese of Washington, DC.
The Reverend David B. Lowry, Theologian in Residence, previously served as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral from 1986 through 1990. After ministry and leadership elsewhere, including service as interim director of the Desmond Tutu Center and interim dean of the Mercer School of Theology, he returned to New Orleans and has served in his current role since 2014. The Reverend Gigi Conner, Priest Associate, joined the Cathedral in September 2023 after 31 years of ordained ministry in several dioceses. She periodically celebrates weekday masses, offers Bible study, and mostly worships with the congregation on Sundays.
Their work spans Eucharistic leadership, theological reflection, youth ministry, digital communication, spiritual direction, and the contemplative life of the Cathedral.
Sacramental Life from Baptism to Reconciliation
Holy Baptism is understood as full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's body, the Church. An adolescent or adult candidate expresses a desire to join the faith community. A pre-adolescent child expresses that desire with a parent or guardian's consent. For an infant, parents or guardians express the desire and show a reasonable manifestation of lively participation in the faith community. Each candidate is sponsored by one or more baptized persons.
Preparation normally includes a pre-baptism conference, usually on the Saturday before the baptism. Parents and godparents or sponsors meet with the clergy to address the meaning and history of baptism, its symbols, their role in the baptismal covenant, and the service itself. Baptism is appropriately administered within the Eucharist at the principal Sunday service. Because baptism is full initiation into the Church, every baptized person, regardless of age, is welcome to receive Holy Communion.
Confirmation is a mature commitment to Christ and a reception of strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop. Candidates must have been baptized, sufficiently instructed in the Christian faith, penitent for their sins, and ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The bishop administers this sacrament during episcopal visitations.
The Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the rite in which those who repent of their sins confess them to God in the presence of a priest and receive assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution. It is available to all who desire it, and confessions may be heard at any time and in any place. The secrecy of a confession is morally absolute. Funerals, by contrast, are approached as Easter liturgies, characterized by joy even amid sorrow because of the Resurrection.
Marriage in the Cathedral and Harris Memorial Chapel
Christian marriage is described in the Episcopal Church as a solemn and public covenant between two people in the presence of God. At least one party must be a baptized Christian, two witnesses must attest the ceremony, and the marriage must conform to state law and the canons of the Episcopal Church. The intent is mutual joy, help and comfort in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God's will, the procreation and nurture of children in the knowledge and love of the Lord. The marriage is to be entered into reverently and deliberately rather than lightly.
The Cathedral and Harris Memorial Chapel are available for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Members of Christ Church and their families meet with Cathedral clergy to discuss policies and scheduling. Episcopalians elsewhere in the Diocese of Louisiana are invited to have their Rector, Vicar, or priest-in-charge request that the Cathedral celebrate the marriage. On occasion, weddings may also be scheduled for Episcopalians outside the diocese who are active in their home parishes.
Meals, Housing, and Care for Neighbors
Pastoral care is at the heart of the Cathedral's Christian life and can take many forms, from an office visit to hospital or home visitation. It may include the Sacraments of Unction or Reconciliation, Holy Communion, or a formal conversation or informal chat. In addition, care teams provide meals to people dealing with a major life event such as surgery, illness, childbirth, or the death of a family member. The commitment is flexible and provided as needed.
Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative is an outreach ministry of Christ Church Cathedral and a neighborhood-based nonprofit homebuilder. It provides families with healthy, energy-efficient affordable housing opportunities and works with neighborhood residents, organizations, and businesses to create and maintain stable, thriving communities. Advent House, a ministry of spiritual direction for the Diocese of Louisiana, also offers clergy and parishioners consultation with clergy and lay spiritual directors who can serve as mentors for deepening spiritual life and navigating life in Christ.
The Cathedral's many ministries make both liturgical and practical contributions. The Altar Guild tends the altar, sacred vessels, linens, wine, water, and bread, preparing the sanctuary before worship and caring for the materials afterward. Altar Servers assist clergy by carrying crosses, torches, books, and cruets during liturgies. The Flower Guild makes weekly arrangements for the Cathedral and Chapel, while the Gardening group updates the extensive grounds on several Saturdays each year. Hospitality volunteers provide food for coffee hour and social gatherings. Lay Readers proclaim the first lesson and Epistle and lead the Prayers of the People. Ushers and Greeters welcome people at the door, hand out service leaflets, assist newcomers and longtime parishioners, guide movement at Communion, and count attendance.
Service can also be understood through time and talent rather than a fixed office. The Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings and sings before and during the 10:00 AM service, with additional rehearsals and services across the year. Daughters of the King members undertake a Rule of Life that combines prayer and service, supporting the Dean and parish as needed. Women may join through a discernment process, and the order's time includes monthly meetings, daily prayer, and occasional projects. Other formation and fellowship include Bible study, small groups, work with young people, and young-adult and family ministry.
A Vestry Built for Shared Mission
The Vestry is the Cathedral's elected lay leadership, comparable to a board in the corporate world. Its members are parishioners elected at the annual meeting to help articulate the congregation's mission, support it in word and deed, select the rector, organize the church, and manage resources and finances. The Vestry has 12 members serving staggered four-year terms, with three stepping down and three elected each year. Members are expected to worship regularly, participate in committees and programs, help with stewardship and budget development, serve the mission of the Rector and staff, attend monthly Vestry meetings and the annual retreat, take part in anti-racism training, and help with hospitality and welcoming.
Stewardship at the Cathedral begins with gratitude and supports worship, pastoral care, education programs, music, outreach, and maintenance of the buildings. Members are asked to make an annual financial pledge, while the church also recognizes the gifts of time and talent. Gifts can be made through weekly offerings, by mail, by card, through automatic payments, with appreciated securities, or through secure online giving. Confidentiality is central to the pledge system, and a small group of elected officers, the Stewardship Committee chair, and the Rector may access records for specific purposes under signed confidentiality agreements.
Prayer, Learning, and the Way of the Cathedral
Dean duPlantier's six-part video series, What Makes an Episcopalian?, introduces the Episcopal tradition. Short teachings explore petition, intercession, thanksgiving, confession, and adoration as distinct forms of prayer. Another teaching introduces the Christian labyrinth as a spiritual practice: unlike a maze, a labyrinth has one path and is approached as a walking meditation or spiritual journey intended to foster peace.
The Cathedral's vision places it at the crossroads between Christ and the world, participating in God's reconciliation and advocating for the kingdom of God. It supports neighbors who are powerless, bereaved, or searching. Its mission is expressed in the words, “We welcome, nurture, and celebrate All so we may serve Christ in All and All in Christ.” The Cathedral is a diverse community of faith, dedicated to worship in the Episcopal tradition and to reaching those in need as a visible sign of Christ's love. At 2919 St. Charles Avenue, Christ Church Cathedral carries its 1805 foundation into a life of prayer, sacrament, welcome, and service.